Swedish producer
Johan Agebjoern
has been living a double musical life for years. On the one hand he's been behind the Italo House duo
Sally Shapiro
and made the excellent dancefloor confection
Casablanca Nights
in 2011, and on the other he's been making lush piano and synth-new age albums that revolve around nature and relaxation. It's a pretty severe case of schizophrenia, but one that he begins to reconcile on his 2014 album
Notes
. Mixing the warm tones of his meditative instrumental albums with the pulsing beats and tender melancholy of his work with
,
Agebjoern
has crafted a sound that's as enveloping as a warm blanket on a cold night. Moving gracefully between instrumentals and vocal features,
hits a sweet spot between subtle background music and reassuringly peaceful electronic pop that you could just as easily dance to as chill out to. While the whole thing sticks in the memory after a spin or two, the tracks that are the most immediate feature vocals.
Loney Dear
's aching nocturnal ballad "The Leftovers" is the standout, but the wistful song featuring
Young Galaxy
("You Passed Through") and the two featuring
are quite beautiful, especially "The Best Thing." The instrumentals show that
is able to meld his two worlds together with ease, mixing melodies and sounds into something exceedingly soothing and calm, and if some of the tracks lean toward the soporific, that's totally in keeping with the subdued mood of the album. Anyone looking for something quiet to help with meditation, calm them after a rough day, or ease a troubled mind while still providing something far more interesting than musical wallpaper can turn to
and find exactly what they are looking for. [
was also released on LP.] ~ Tim Sendra